View source for VOAR-FM

{{short description|Christian radio station in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador}}
{{Primary sources|date=July 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name               = VOAR-FM
| logo               = [[File:Lighthouse_voarfm.svg|275px]]
| city               = [[Mount Pearl]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]
| area               = [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]
| branding           = Lighthouse FM
| airdate            = Fall [[1929 in radio|1929]]
| frequency          = 96.7 [[Hertz|MHz]] ([[FM broadcasting|FM]])
| format             = [[Christian radio|Christian]]
| former_callsigns   = '''8BSL''' (1929–1930)<br>'''8RA''' (1930–1931)<br>'''VONA''' (1931–1933)<br>'''VOAC''' (1933–1938)
| former_frequencies = 1230 [[Hertz|kHz]] ([[AM broadcasting|AM]]) (1950s-1991)<br>1210 kHz (1991–2020)
| erp                = 100,000 [[watt]]s
| haat               = {{convert|156.6|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class              = C
| coordinates        = {{Coord|47.5347|-52.8211|display=inline,title}}
| owner              = The [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]] in Newfoundland & Labrador
| webcast            = [https://www.lighthousefm.org/listen-live/ Listen Live]
| website            = [https://www.lighthousefm.org/ lighthousefm.org]
| callsign_meaning   = '''V'''oice '''O'''f '''A'''dventist '''R'''adio
}}
'''VOAR-FM''' (96.7 [[Hertz|MHz]]) is a Canadian [[radio station]], which airs a [[Christian radio|Christian]] [[radio format]]. It is [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Mount Pearl]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], and serves the [[St. John's metropolitan area]]. VOAR is owned by the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]] in Newfoundland and Labrador. Its [[radio studio]]s and offices are on Topsail Road in Mount Pearl. 

VOAR-FM is a [[list of broadcast station classes|Class C]] FM station.  The [[transmitter]] is off Kenmount Road, also in Mount Pearl.<ref>[https://fccdata.org/?canam=VOAR FCCdata.org/VOAR-FM]</ref>  The [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) is 100,000 [[watt]]s, the maximum for most Canadian FM stations.

==Programming==
VOAR airs a blend of [[Christian talk and teaching]] programs along with [[Contemporary Christian music]]. Religious leaders heard on VOAR include [[Charles Stanley]], [[Jim Daly (evangelist)|Jim Daly]], [[Joni Eareckson Tada]] and [[Chuck Swindoll]].<ref>[http://voar.org/program-guide/ VOAR.org/program-guide]</ref>

==History==
===Early years===
VOAR first began broadcasting in the fall of 1929 as '''8BSL'''. In 1930, the station was renamed '''8RA'''. It received the [[call sign]] '''VONA''' ('''V'''oice of the '''N'''orth '''A'''tlantic) in 1931 (using the [[ITU prefix]] '''VO''' that was assigned to the [[Dominion of Newfoundland]] before it joined Canada.  It later switched to '''VOAC''' ('''V'''oice of the '''A'''dventist '''C'''hurch) in 1933, then once more to its current call sign, '''VOAR''' ('''V'''oice of '''A'''dventist '''R'''adio) in 1938.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lighthousefm.org/history/ |title = History {{!}} Lighthouse FM}}</ref>  VOAR is one of four Canadian stations, along with [[VOWR]] 800, [[VOCM (AM)|VOCM]] 590 and [[VOCM-FM]] 97.5, to still use call signs beginning with '''VO''' rather than '''C'''.

Over the years, the station switched its frequency several times. From the 1950s through 1991, it broadcast at 1230&nbsp;kHz, originally powered at only 100 [[watt]]s.

It then moved to its final AM frequency, 1210.  The new dial position was coupled with a boost in power to 10,000 watts, which was approved by the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC) in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1991/DB91-163.HTM|title=Decision CRTC 91-163|date=27 March 1991|publisher=CRTC|access-date=27 October 2017}}</ref> But because 1210 is a [[clear-channel station|clear channel frequency]] reserved for [[list of North American broadcast station classes|Class A]] [[WPHT]] [[Philadelphia]], VOAR used a [[directional antenna]] to avoid interference. It later moved its [[city of license]] from [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]] to [[Mount Pearl]], the community where its transmitter and studios are located.

===Expanding through Canada===
In 2002, VOAR began adding a network of FM rebroadcasters, while the main station was still being heard on the AM band in St. John's.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2002/db2002-49.htm|title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-49|date=20 February 2002|publisher=CRTC|access-date=27 October 2017}}</ref> At first, the rebroadcasting stations were in small communities around Newfoundland and Labrador.

In recent years, VOAR has expanded into other provinces and territories. It currently has about 30 rebroadcasters, stretching across Canada. It is heard in four provinces and in the [[Northwest Territories]].

===Moving to FM===
[[File:VOAR Radio.png|thumb|right|VOAR logo prior to FM transition.]]
On October 6, 2016, the CRTC received an application from VOAR to move to the FM band, with the [[call sign]] '''VOAR-FM'''. The proposed new station would have an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 100,000 [[watt]]s. At the same time, it would shut down its AM signal and its [[Bay Roberts]] [[broadcast relay station|repeater]], VOAR-1-FM 95.9. The other VOAR repeaters would begin [[simulcast]]ing the new FM signal. Reasons for the conversion request stated in the application were listener confusion with [[VOWR]] 800 AM (both stations receive each other's mail), signal reception issues in portions of the St. John's area, and the AM station's transmitter (installed in 1990) reaching the end of its usable life.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/DocWebBroker/OpenDocument.aspx?AppNo=201601360&_ga=1.153533566.711001897.1475555107|title=2016-0136-0|publisher=CRTC|access-date=27 October 2017}}</ref>

On June 27, 2017, the CRTC approved VOAR's application to replace its AM radio station VOAR and its rebroadcaster in Bay Roberts. The new FM station in Mount Pearl would operate at 96.7&nbsp;MHz with an ERP of 100,000 watts using a [[omnidirectional antenna|non-directional antenna]] at a [[height above average terrain]] (HAAT) of 156.8 metres (515 feet).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2017/2017-219.htm|title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2017-219|date=27 June 2017|publisher=CRTC|access-date=27 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mount Pearl-based VOAR gets CRTC blessing for FM move |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/voar-crtc-move-tofm-1.4197280 |website=[[CBC News]] |date=2017-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507021916/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/voar-crtc-move-tofm-1.4197280 |archive-date=2022-05-07 |url-status=live |last1=Kinsella |first1=Stephanie}}</ref> VOAR began testing its new FM transmitter in December 2018. It officially signed on the air the following month.

VOAR completed its transitions to FM with the station's moniker becoming ''Lighthouse FM''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mountpearl.ca/business/directory/16559/voar-christian-radio/ | title=Lighthouse FM Christian Radio Network }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://stjohnssda.org/multimedia/ | title=Multimedia &#124; Seventh-day Adventist Church }}</ref> On January 10, 2020, the AM signal [[dark (broadcasting)|shut down]].

==Rebroadcasters==
In 2002, VOAR added several FM rebroadcasters in various parts of the province, too far from St. John's to get a clear signal from the AM transmitter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2002/db2002-49.htm|title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-49|date=20 February 2002|publisher=CRTC|access-date=27 October 2017}}</ref> Over the years, other rebroadcasters were added in other Canadian provinces and territories. VOAR is also carried across Canada on [[Bell Satellite TV]] Channel 950 and locally on [[Rogers Cable]] Channel 929.

A new broadcasting license was issued in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2008/db2008-282.htm|title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-282|date=8 October 2008|publisher=CRTC|access-date=27 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/voar-am|title=Radio Station History Newfoundland VOAR-AM (Religious)|publisher=Canadian Communications Foundation|access-date=27 October 2017|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028043435/http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/voar-am|url-status=dead}}</ref> Also in 2008, several transmitters were put on the air in [[British Columbia]].

{{RadioRebroadcasters
| rec              = true
| crtc             = <!--set to "true" to add CRTC column-->
| callsign         = VOAR-FM
| call1            = VOAR-2-FM
| freq1            = 99.5 FM
| watts1           = 15
| class1           = LP
| city1            = [[Marystown|Marystown, Newfoundland]]
| call2            = VOAR-3-FM
| freq2            = 91.7 FM
| watts2           = 50
| class2           = LP
| city2            = [[Lewisporte|Lewisporte, Newfoundland]]
| call3            = VOAR-4-FM
| freq3            = 89.7 FM
| watts3           = 50
| class3           = LP
| city3            = [[Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador|Gander, Newfoundland]]
| call4            = VOAR-5-FM
| freq4            = 102.1 FM
| watts4           = 50
| class4           = LP
| city4            = [[Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador|Deer Lake, Newfoundland]]
| call5            = VOAR-6-FM
| freq5            = 101.1 FM
| watts5           = 50
| class5           = LP
| city5            = [[Botwood|Botwood, Newfoundland]]
| call6            = VOAR-7-FM
| freq6            = 103.3 FM
| watts6           = 50
| class6           = LP
| city6            = [[Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador|Springdale, Newfoundland]]
| call7            = VOAR-8-FM
| freq7            = 98.3 FM
| watts7           = 250
| class7           = A1
| city7            = [[Grand Falls-Windsor|Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland]]
| call8            = VOAR-9-FM
| freq8            = 105.7 FM
| watts8           = 240
| class8           = A1
| city8            = [[Corner Brook|Corner Brook, Newfoundland]]
| call9            = VOAR-10-FM
| freq9            = 99.9 FM
| watts9           = 50
| class9           = LP
| city9            = [[Channel-Port aux Basques|Port aux Basques, Newfoundland]]
| call10           = VOAR-11-FM
| freq10           = 101.9 FM
| watts10          = 250
| class10          = A1
| city10           = [[Happy Valley-Goose Bay|Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland]]
| call11           = VOAR-12-FM
| freq11           = 102.5 FM
| watts11          = 50
| class11          = LP
| city11           = [[Wabush|Wabush, Newfoundland]]
| call12           = VOAR-13-FM
| freq12           = 107.1 FM
| watts12          = 50
| class12          = LP
| city12           = [[Bridgewater, Nova Scotia]]
| call13           = VF2497
| freq13           = 106.5 FM
| watts13          = 16
| class13          = LP
| city13           = [[Cranbrook, British Columbia]]
| call14           = VF2507
| freq14           = 92.9 FM
| watts14          = 17
| class14          = LP
| city14           = [[Creston, British Columbia]]
| call15           = VF2508
| freq15           = 99.9 FM
| watts15          = 14
| class15          = LP
| city15           = [[Golden, British Columbia]]
| call16           = VF2515
| freq16           = 92.9 FM
| watts16          = 25
| class16          = LP
| city16           = [[Nakusp|Nakusp, British Columbia]]
| call17           = VF2519
| freq17           = 95.1 FM
| watts17          = 50
| class17          = LP
| city17           = [[Williams Lake, British Columbia]]
| call18           = VF2532
| freq18           = 94.1 FM
| watts18          = 50
| class18          = LP
| city18           = [[Hope, British Columbia]]
| call19           = VF2533
| freq19           = 92.7 FM
| watts19          = 50
| class19          = LP
| city19           = [[Inuvik|Inuvik, Northwest Territories]]
| call20           = VF2535
| freq20           = 101.5 FM
| watts20          = 50
| class20          = LP
| city20           = [[Terrace, British Columbia]]
| call21           = VF2577
| freq21           = 106.7 FM
| watts21          = 30
| class21          = LP
| city21           = [[100 Mile House|100 Mile House, British Columbia]]
| call22           = VF8026
| freq22           = 92.3 FM
| watts22          = 50
| class22          = LP
| city22           = [[Quesnel, British Columbia]]
| call23           = VF2562
| freq23           = 92.1 FM
| watts23          = 5
| class23          = LP
| city23           = [[Shellbrook, Saskatchewan]]
| call24           = VF2588
| freq24           = 92.1 FM
| watts24          = 5
| class24          = LP
| city24           = [[Swift Current|Swift Current, Saskatchewan]]
| call25           = VF2533
| freq25           = 92.7 FM
| watts25          = 5
| class25          = LP
| city25           = [[Inuvik|Inuvik, Northwest Territories]]
}}
The station also had repeaters in [[Prince George, British Columbia]] 107.3 ('''VF2510'''); [[Kamloops]] 105.1 ('''VF2525'''); [[Kelowna]] 98.9; and [[Oliver, British Columbia|Oliver]] 106.1 ('''VF2524'''). However, they were taken off the air due to licensing issues with the CRTC in January 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://princegeorge.voar.ca/|title=VOAR Broadcast in Prince George|publisher=VOAR|access-date=15 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715064307/http://princegeorge.voar.ca/|archive-date=15 July 2010}}</ref> The station also had applications to expand into 25 additional communities in British Columbia in early 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adventistsingleadultministries.org/forum/printthread.php?tid=2040&page=2|title=VOAR - Voice of Adventist Radio|publisher=Adventist Single Adult Ministries|access-date=27 October 2017|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028094335/http://www.adventistsingleadultministries.org/forum/printthread.php?tid=2040&page=2|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.lighthousefm.org/ Lighthouse FM]
*[https://broadcasting-history.ca/radio/radio-stations/newfoundland-labrador/voar-am/ VOAR-FM history] - [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]
*{{RecnetCanada|VOAR-FM}}

{{St. John's radio}}
{{Southern Newfoundland Radio}}
{{Central Newfoundland Radio}}
{{Labrador Radio}}
{{Christian radio stations in Canada}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Voar (Am)}}
[[Category:Radio stations in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[Category:Christian radio stations in Canada]]
[[Category:Seventh-day Adventist media]]
[[Category:Mount Pearl]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1929]]
[[Category:Adventism in Canada]]